


ocean eyes

by wayvbabey



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayvbabey/pseuds/wayvbabey
Summary: After a group of mermaids enter the waters surrounding your island, food is hard to find. When the unthinkable happens, you have to make a choice. But can you live with the consequences of the aftermath?
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten & Reader, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> my first ever completed one shot is here! please give it lots of love. a huge shoutout to @retroateez (tumblr) for guiding me and cheering me on and a massive thank you to @bumblebeenct (Tumblr) for proofreading and encouraging me even though we were strangers! and a special mention to the group of discord users who helped me come up with a way to transport a mermaid to the ocean!

**Author's note (19/12/2020): Now updated to include a beautiful banner done by a @hoeforau on tumblr!**

****

-

In the heat of the Summer, the ocean was your only escape.

The raft you were on floated aimlessly and lazily, too close to the shore for the sea to drag it out. The sun was beating down on you, filtering through your closed eyes and in an effort to escape the heat you let your hand fall and greet the cold water.

You were on the other side of the island where the adults usually avoided and the teenagers tended to hang out. It was a mixture of small beaches, shallow, clear water and rocks, therefore deemed safe enough for no adult supervision and beautiful enough to become a hotspot for the youngsters.

It was where you spent most of your days when you weren't helping out. Today you had managed to sneak out of your duties and spend the day at the beach, meeting your friends and dragging out an old wooden raft you'd put together and hidden behind some rocks. Then your afternoon had been spent either sunbathing or swimming. You were currently drying off on your makeshift float and almost falling asleep when a hand gripped onto your wrist and yanked you in.

Cold water shocked you awake instantly, rushing up your nose and into your mouth as you choked and flailed about until you could finally reach the surface, breaching it and gasping for air. The culprit was bobbing a few feet away from you and laughing.

"Minah," you growled when you'd finally caught your breath. "That wasn't funny! Where's the float, you idiot?"

"Oops." Your best friend grins back at you, looking very much like a drowned rat as she tries to keep afloat, gently bobbing over to the runaway raft and hauling herself onto it, leaving you stranded in the water. "Sorry, Y/N. I couldn't help it."

"You scared the crap out of me," you admit, swimming languidly alongside next to her whilst looking back at the shore. You're not too far out, just enough so that your feet can't touch the ground but that doesn't matter, you can see the bottom of the sea anyway.

"At least we're not out fishing," Minah shrugs, wringing off her long hair and sitting cross-legged whilst facing you, gently splashing water to and fro as the tries to keep herself in the same place. "Minyoung went out last week and said one of those mermaids almost turned over the boat. I honestly don't know how they could manage that, those boats are pretty big."

"Is she okay?" You ask, alarmed. Minah's older sister is a lovely girl and a skilled sailor but the recent sightings of mermaids had left even the most skilled sailors nervous.

"She's fine yeah, but doesn't want us anywhere near them. She actually offered to take over my chores today so I didn't have to sail."

"I wish Minjun would do that for me, but that if my little brother knew where I was today he'd be straight on to my mother," you sigh and grab the ends of the raft, too tired to keep yourself afloat anymore. "He was eager to go this morning though. I think he wanted to catch sight of them."

Them was referring to the not-so-friendly underwater neighbours the island had suddenly gained. Only a few weeks ago there had been sightings of mermaids along the coastline and very quickly after that, the fishermen found they were catching less and less fish. The problem with the newcomers was not only did your island rely on fish for their main source of food, but they also took them to other islands and traded them for resources like cloth and metals. Today, there was hardly enough fish for the whole island.

"It's so crazy." Minah sighed, laying back down to stare at the sky. "I mean- they've always been a fairytale, right? And now we're literally on the edge of starvation cause they've decided to come to this island, in the middle of nowhere, and scare away all the fish."

You frowned. "Don't say starvation, Minah."

"It's true though." She shifts to look at you but quickly shifts her focus to the beach. "Hey isn't that Daesung?"

As she speaks, a shout reaches you and you turn to see where it came from. On the beach is indeed your friend Daesung, who's yelling both of your names and waving his arms frantically. Minah joins you in the water, swimming over to him quickly while you lag behind with the raft in tow, arriving a little later.

The look on Daesung's face is concerning and, as he whispers to Minah, you see her eyes widen and hands lift to cover her mouth. Anxiety strikes you and causes you to abandon the raft on the beach in favour of hurrying over.

"What is it?" You babbled. "What's happened?"

"It's Minjun," Minah breathed, eyes wide, "he's been attacked."

-

The healer's cabin was located on the other side of the island, and so by the time you had reached there, it was nightfall. The boat your little brother was sailing on had circled around the island and dropped him off right next to the hut, so he had been able to be treated as soon as they had reached land.

Many people on the island favoured big families to help them out. Minah was the youngest of three, Daesung the eldest of four. In your own family, however, it was just you, Minjun and your mother, and it was no secret Minjun was the light of your mother's life. You didn't blame her, he was the light of yours too.

When you saw her outside the cabin, grief-stricken face illuminated by the harsh glow of the torches, you didn't hesitate to embrace her, burying your face into her neck and finally letting the tears drip down your face. You had left Minah and Daesung in the dust, racing out of the cove and tearing it like a bat out of hell across the island, ignoring everyone who you came into contact with.

Your mother rubbed your back gently, bringing you back to the present. "He'll be okay, Y/N." She assured you quietly. "He's resting at the moment, but he's fine."

"What the hell happened?" You whispered before finally pulling away and wiping away any remaining tears.

"A mermaid." She sighed, making your eyes go wide. "He was pulling up a net when it dragged him in. Poor Weilong dived straight in after him and they were both roughed up bad, but nothing broken, nothing that can't be fixed."

"How the hell did that happen..." You trail off in disbelief, anger fueling you. "Why would they do that? They're the ones hurting us by driving the fish away. Why would they go for him like that?"

"I don't know and quite frankly I don't care." Your mother sighed again and it was only then that you realised how tired she looked. Her eyes were red-rimmed and sunken, mouth turned in a perpetual frown, shoulders drooped downwards in defeat. "Would you be alright to come in and check on Minjun with me and then go and meet Sunhee? She specifically requested for you; they're holding an emergency meeting in the council-house."

You oblige her request though the sight of your brother covered in bandages fills you with a rage so intense you don't know how to keep it contained. Minjun was sleeping so you didn't get the chance to talk to him, only stare with a mixture of anger and sadness brewing up inside as the nurses quietly buzzed around him and your mother softly stroked his hand.

Minah and Daesung were waiting outside with Weilong in tow. He looked a little worse for wear, with what you could only describe as nail scratches decorating every part of his body that wasn't covered in clothing.

"Are you alright?" You asked him. He nodded, then winced.

"I'm a little roughed up, but still alive. The nurses discharged me and Sunhee wanted me at the meeting so overall, I'd say I'll live to see another day." He grinned boyishly, only stopping to yelp as Daesung elbowed him and inadvertently poked at his wounds.

"Thank you so much for saving my brother." You tell him sincerely as the four of you make your way to the council-house.

"No problem," he replies easily.

-

Im Sunhee was the elected leader of your island. Not only was she the youngest ever leader and the first female, but she was also, in your opinion, the wisest leader you'd ever seen.

"These mermaids have caused a problem," she addressed the audience in the meeting room from her raised platform, cold eyes raking over the crowd. "They've been driving away our main food source and today two islanders were attacked. I'm sure all of you are angry at this, and I want to promise you that we will be taking action."

Her speech was met with murmurs of agreement, signifying that Sunhee's view of the mermaids was seen by all. It was half an hour later when people started filing out, ready to head home, but Sunhee caught your eye and motioned for you to remain where you were. You noticed the other people also staying behind were important figures on the islands, the head traders, sailors, and governors that worked with Sunhee, though your group of friends hadn't moved either.

"I've called you all back," she began, "because I have a plan. I know we're low on food, and frankly myself and the committee," she gestured to the huddle of men and woman gathered next to her, "are at our wit's end. However, Fumihiro mentioned something to me earlier." She signalled for the elderly merchant to step forward and talk, who did so.

"Not only is fish our main food source, but we also use it to trade. I happened to mention to Sunhee that if we were to find another valuable resource to trade, we would be able to sustain ourselves using food from other islands." He explained, with Sunhee following up:

"And I believe there is nothing more enticing to the other islands than rare materials. To put it short, we have lost our fish but gained the mermaids, who happen to boast excellent tails."

Though anger still simmered in your chest at what had happened to your little brother, you couldn't help but recoil at Sunhee's words. Surely she wasn't suggesting-

"I want us to capture the mermaids and sell their scales. An eye for an eye, and this is our only option."

Your eyes met Minah's through the crowd, both of you staring at each other with your mouths agape.

"Here's the plan," the head fisherman, Yongsun, explained. "We'll go out on our boats tomorrow night, under the guise of fishing, and as soon as we see one of those bastards, we're going to try and trap it. It's undecided as to whether we'll use bait or not but everyone's safety will be first and foremost." He looked directly at you. "We will not have a repeat of your brother."

Your throat was dry so all you could do was nod.

"But wait," Minah piped up. "This all seems a little top-secret, not to mention risky. Why are we here?"

"Weilong is in well enough condition to provide us with information on the mermaids, seeing as he has had firsthand experience with them," Sunhee said. "And I was hoping the three of you, who are competent sailors, would be willing to help Yongsun and I carry this out. Perhaps take revenge for Y/N's brother. Is that something that interests you?"

You were speechless, tied between the overwhelming fury that you still felt and the little voice in your head that piped up that this was so inherently wrong. How had they even come up with this? Catching fish was one thing... but hunting down such a mythical creature and then stripping it down? Was that something you wanted to take part in?

Guilt gnawed away at you as you stared back at Sunhee. She was patient and seemed to be looking to only you for an answer. That was only natural; Weilong was a born follower who would agree with Sunhee either way and your two friends would want you to be the one to make the final decision. The answer rested on you.

This is wrong. A small voice in the back of your head piped up again but was soon drowned out by the remembrance of your mother's sad, tired face and your brother's bandaged body. Before you could stop yourself to rethink your final decision, you had spoken.

"I'll do it."

-


	2. 2

The next night, just as the sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon you, your friends and a few other fishermen clambered onto Yongsun's main boat, a large vessel with high manoeuvrability, and started to equip it with the necessary items needed for the night ahead.

Yongsun and Sunhee, along with the rest of the council members, had been holed up in their cabin making decisions all of the morning. You were not forbidden to speak about the plan but the consensus that was none of the other islanders were to know. So instead of spending the day back at the beach with friends, you had been holed up in the healer's cabin with your brother, deep in thought.

Was what you were doing right? Was an eye for an eye really the way to go? Never in your life had the leaders authorised hunting whales, dolphins, or even sharks that strayed too close to the shoreline. All of them were driven off peacefully one way or another.

You tried to convince yourself this was different, that you were dealing with an enemy that would, if given the chance, take your life like it had tried with your brother. But the thought of a dead mermaid stripped of its scales made you gag slightly every time the mental image was brought up in your mind.

"Take a look at this." Minah walked up to you, dragging a harpoon on the floor that had sharp, pointed spikes facing the ground (just how Yongsun had instructed). A multitude of weapons were currently being loaded on board, from spears to nets to harpoons, the latter which was usually only used for boarding hostile ships or picking up debris in the ocean.

"That's gonna pack a punch," Daesung swooped in to relieve her from the burden, leading the way as the three of you clambered aboard the ship. "These poor fish-people aren't gonna know what's hit them."

No-one replied to you after that and it occurred to you that you weren't the only having doubts about this trip. But wouldn't they all be looking at you, the one who should have a personal vendetta against these things, for instruction?

"Let's just get to our spots and get this over with." You sighed.

After Weilong helped plot the course for where he'd last seen the mermaids, the more seasoned sailors easily manoeuvred the ship out of the bay and soon the warm evening breeze flowed freely against your cheeks. It felt warm and comforting, totally juxtaposing what you were about to do to one of the sea's many creatures.

"Alright kids," Yongsun's second in command, a short lady named Akira, approached the three of you who were were huddled at the bow. "We've decided to use you as bait! But don't worry-" she quickly amended her words at the sight of Daesung's horrified face. "-you'll be in no danger. Minjun was targeted at the side of the boat, so what we've decided is we'll have your top halves leaning over the boat if you're looking for fish whilst a rope anchors you to the mast. They can grab you, but they can't take you! Perfectly safe, and then we'll handle the rest."

And that was how you ended up half an hour later, peering over the side of the ship and gazing into the dark abyss. The sun was almost fully hidden now with only a sliver of light allowing you to see. Hopefully, mermaids didn't have tails the same shade as the sea.

The three of you were at different places in the ship: you on the port side near the bow, Daesung on the starboard side in the middle and Minah at the steer, effectively covering the whole ship. The crew was busying themselves as they normally would in order to avoid suspicion but were keeping a close eye on you all the while. The bait was set, and all you had to do was wait.

The waiting went from seconds to minutes, then minutes to what seemed like hours until you could feel your eyes slowly start closing, the only thing keeping you awake being the cool breeze that left your hair standing on end and goosebumps on your skin. Belatedly, you saw a shoal of fish swim by, silver scales catching the fading light like stars in the sky.

An abrupt realisation jolted you awake. The shoal of fish wasn't just silver, but black too. No fish looked like this, which could only mean one thing.

Without being too alarmed, you let your now wide-awake eyes roam around the 'shoal', seeing the shimmering scales fade into pale skin- a torso, then a neck, then a face.

It was just below the water, staring intently at you with no plans of moving away. Short black hair floated around it a halo, a stark contrast to the white skin and dark, catlike eyes.

The two of you were frozen as you gazed into each other's eyes. You had never seen anything like this. For a moment, you could imagine how Minjun must have felt, at first frightened and alarmed, but then struck with awe as he took in such a majestic creature. 

Then there was a shout, and the spell was broken.

You watched him flinch back, breaking eye contact, and go to dive down. At the same time, there was the ping of harpoon fire, and you could only watch as the spikes plunged into the water and pierced the tail of the merman. A distraught sob tore through you as you watched him thrash around, mouth open in a silent scream.

Akira was by your side immediately, cutting you out of the rope and turning you to face her. A crowd had gathered, weapons ready in case any other mermaids decided to attack, but mostly focused on Yongsuk who was handling the harpoon as if it was a fishing rod, ever so slowly reeling the mermaid in whilst the crew hollered and cheered him on.

"Are you okay? Did it hurt you?" She checked you up and down frantically, trying to make sure you were okay.

"It didn't even touch me." You murmured, dazed at what you had just seen. "I didn't even see him."

"You did well," she embraced you, rubbing you back to try and warm you up. You hadn't even realised you were shaking. "You kept it there so Yongsuk could line up his shot."

For some reason, her words made you erupt into tears.

-

You spend the rest of the trip back underneath the deck. You told Akira it was because you needed to calm down but in reality, you just couldn't bring yourself to go above and see the poor thing tied up- the man, if you could even call him that. Halfway through Minah had joined you with a stony look on her face and after looking at her questioningly she'd said: "there's too much blood on the deck."

Thankfully, the mermaid was gone once you came to disembark though you couldn't help but notice there were a few people on their hands and knees scrubbing at the deck. To distract yourself you looked along the harbour and noticed Weilong waiting for you.

"Your brother's woken up and wants to see you," he explained, slinging an arm around your shoulder and guiding you through the crowd. You suspected the island's new visitor had kicked up quite the fussy had gathered to try and catch a glimpse of the island's new prisoner.

"Not great," you admitted. "Like, I knew they had a human upper body but damn, if he didn't look so full of life and so in pain when he got hit."

Weilong squeezed your shoulder in comfort. "You did the right thing, Y/N, whether you think so or not. You kept it in place, and because of that, we've found another way to sustain ourselves. But if this really weighing you down, maybe visit the healer when you see your brother?"

"Good point," you sighed, gazing up at him and smiling thankfully. Weilong's compassion and empathy towards others continuously surprised you, no matter how long you'd know him. "How do you think people will react when they find out about the mermaid?"

"People saw it being moved from the boat," he replied thoughtfully. "Sunhee will probably make an announcement tomorrow morning on what to do with it, but for now I think it's being kept somewhere out of everyone's way. Yongsuk wanted it displayed in the middle of the town but Sunhee didn't want to upset people. Smart choice."

Displayed like a trophy prize, you thought bitterly, and continued down the path.

You spent the rest of the night by your brother's bedside which allowed your mother to get some rest. Though it was a little awkward and painful to sleep on the flimsy visitor chair, you were thankful you weren't alone, and that you could take your brother's hand whenever you dreamed of blood splatters and silver scales. Eventually, you stopped trying to rest and amused yourself by talking to Minjun.

"So what happened next?" He was entranced, eyes trained on you like a hawk as you relayed the events that had unfolded ever since he was injured. Evidently, your mother had not been the best reporter.

"That's it. It's still there," you shrug, stretching a little. "I don't know when it'll happen, but the poor thing's probably going to die."

Minjun frowned. "That's sad."

"Oh? I thought you'd be happy, Minjunnie."

"Not really," his frown twisted, and you belatedly realised he was trying not to cry. "It wasn't even their fault- I just, I don't know what happened. We were out on the sea, where they live, and maybe they were scared- maybe it was a warning! But now one of them has to die for it."

Minjun summed up how you felt perfectly and you told him as such while you drew him close, wiping the tears off his face. 

"It's no-ones fault kiddo," you smiled sadly at him. "It just sucks,"

"It just sucks." He echoed, taking a shuddering breath and pushing you away to wipe his tears.

-

You'd been half-asleep when the sound of a door creaking open had woken you. Lifting your head from Minjun's sleeping figure you turn to find a small group of apprentices entering, talking excitedly to each other.

"He's such a looker! He didn't see me when I went to go look but I can tell you: he's gorgeous."

"You're lucky no-one saw you! You'd have been yelled at- or worse."

"Get a look at him before you're gone, is what I say, ladies. My sister's on the council and she told me he'll be dead before sunset tomorrow."

You rubbed your eyes blearily and watched them disappear through a door, into the back room the last one to leave gazing at you apologetically before closing the door shut. Minjun had slept through the whole thing, hand laced around yours, and it took you a minute or so to slowly free yourself from his grip.

Despite talking with Weilong and Minjun, you were still feeling guilty. Your brother's words repeated in your head like a mantra, "it wasn't even their fault."

By the time you had fully woken up and gotten to your feet, you knew you were decided.

The apprentices looked up sharply as you gently entered the back room, making sure to close the door behind you quietly.

"Are you alright Y/N?" Mira, the nurse that had been looking after your brother, asked you. 

"Yes I'm fine, but I'm going to head back to my house now if that's okay, it's been a long day." She nodded sympathetically.

"I'll be right over to Minjun. As you were," the last part of her sentence was addressed to the apprentices, who immediately looked down and started working again. Some were grinding leaves down with a mortar and pestle, others stirring a liquid mixture in their bowls.

"Why are they working so late?" You asked curiously.

"Sunhee wants the mermaid's wounds cleaned before, um, it dies," Mira explained sadly. "From my medical evaluation the poor thing won't die anytime soon, but it sure is in a lot of pain."

"I see, thank you." You bowed your head towards her before dipping out of the room, casting one last look at your brother before exiting the cabin altogether.

You strode down the path with a sense of renewed purpose and feeling more awake than you'd felt in a while. The sea breeze rode in past the bay, through the town and carried you along, as if it silently supported your decision. You didn't know where the mermaid was being kept, but you had to find out soon. It was around eleven at night now, most people would be sleeping bar a few rebellious teenagers but some would be getting up at six. You had just less than seven hours to find the mermaid, heal his wounds and get him back out to sea.

-


	3. 3

Two hours later, you are huddled under a bush, watching as a group of men drunkenly stumble down the path and towards the town whilst trying not to freeze solid.

After scouring the harbour, the main town, Sunhee's house, Yongsuk's workshop, the blacksmiths and the council house, you had finally found where they were keeping the mermaid. It was you'd least expected it but made the most sense. 

When the island was first developed, they had stored all their food and water in a huge, barn-like building. Times had changed since then though it was still used to store wood and other items. Usually, no-one bothered to go up to visit it as it was so out of the way and there was nothing to do once you got there.

Sunhee had erected a huge glass tank next to the building. It was almost impossible to see but the flame-lit torches surrounding the area gave you just enough light to see a motionless figure floating in the tank. You were momentarily blinded again by how beautiful the merman was, but the more you stood still the colder you got, and you were running out of time.

Would he resent you for being the cause of his capture, his injury? For a moment, petty embarrassment grasped at you though it quickly faded away as you stood up. Ironically, you had to ignore that feeling and focus on the greater good, just like how Sunhee had ignored her morality to try and feed the island.

There were no guards, luckily. The islanders had total transparency with each other. There were only about five hundred of you, a small but growing population. Many people- like your father, for instance -outgrew the island and moved to another or the faraway mainland. For now, you were content with you home. But no guards meant Sunhee would be ruthless in her investigation, and you hadn't even thought of an alibi yet.

Creeping forward, you began to think the creature really was dead. The water was an inky black but his skin shone pale in the moonlight. He was ethereal, more than you could comprehend.

Then his eyes opened.

Like a little doe, you froze on instinct, watching with frozen breath as his eyes focused and found you, narrowing in an instant.

The obvious thing for you to do was put your hands up in a surrender pose- to show you meant no harm. However, instead of acting aggressive, he merely stared right back, a parallel to how both of you had first met, rolling onto his side so he had a better view of you. You noticed his tail wasn't moving much, an occasional flicker, but other than that he was motionless. Sure, he may have been resting it but it was clear that just like a wounded leg, he was unable to use it.

The tank was twice your height and three times your length, with the merman easily taking up half of it if not more. It would be impossible to move the tank or carry the merman.

"Fuck." You breathed out defeatedly. How the hell were you supposed to do this? 

-

"How the hell are we supposed to do this?"

"Please, please just help me, and hurry up," you hiss silently, dragging both of them up the hill and into the clearing.

Desperate times had called for desperate measures meaning you had recruited Weilong and Daesung. It would be impossible for you to lift the merman on your own and so you had enlisted their help.

"If we get caught I'm blaming you," Weilong grunted as the three of you reached the tank. The merman was still awake and staring at you which was offputting, but you had no time to waste. It was now two in the morning- you'd wasted an hour brainstorming and then convincing your friends to get out of bed and join your plan.

"Shut up and we won't." You disappear into the storage barn, somewhere you had explored during your brainstorming session and reappear with a fishing net and some leftover tarpaulin. 

"Here's the plan: we're going to get him into the tarpaulin and fishing net, then get him back to the ocean."

"Can he breathe outside of water?" Daesung asked, just as Weilong said: "can we lift him?"

"Just shut up and help me find some sort of step to help us reach the top of the tank," was your reply, as you laid out the net and spread the tarpaulin on top of it. The three of you worked quickly, Weilong somehow finding two rusty ladders and you and Daesung helping him position them on either side of the tank.

"So... how do we know it won't try to kill us?" Weilong questioned nervously and your eyes flickered to his healing wounds. It was only natural for him to be afraid.

You looked at the mermaid, whose gaze was still trained on you. Could he understand what you were saying? 

"He just won't." Was your answer before you broke the eye-contact and went to help the others.

They each grasped your makeshift net, bickering quietly on how to do it before lifting it up high and moulding it into a narrow semi-circle shape, then pushing it into the water in a scooping motion. For a minute the merman disappeared and fear gripped you. Had it dragged one of them in? Had it swum deeper? Could it breathe out of water?

Then Daesung let out a grunt and heaved with Weilong following suit. You flinched as the spilt water hit the ground but saw them lift the net up with what seemed to be a motionless merman inside.

"How the fuck do we get down the ladder now?" Weilong grunted, the muscles in his arms bulging at the effort to hold the merman.

"Pass your side to Daesung and let him carry it down like he's holding a bag, or some wood or something!" You called urgently. Weilong did so before leaping off the ladder and rushing around to assist Daesung. By some miracle, the latter managed to descend the ladder and reach the floor without slipping, where you and Weilong helped by taking grabbing the net and tarpaulin and distributing the weight.

"Follow the path and take the outskirts. Make for the secret cove area." You instructed them, watching the merman, your merman now, you guessed, as his eyes closed and mouth opened in what you could only assume was a silent groan of pain. You winced; that was an all too familiar reminder of what had happened on the ship. At least now you were righting your wrong.

The journey wasn't easy. Halfway there and your arms were screaming and Daesung was staggering, but you couldn't stop. Multiple times you had feared you were caught, either by someone switching a light on or by a dog barking. Each time your heart had leapt to your mouth and your mouth to the floor. Adrenaline hit in spikes, giving you the strength to haul the merman further and further until your feet hit the sand, which gladly gave way under your feet despite making it harder to walk.

"Keep going, all the way around the rocks till we're out of sight. I don't want this coming back to bite us," Weilong murmured. It was easier at the beach, where the sun was rising to greet you and provide you with light. Your guess was it was nearing five. 

By some miracle, you didn't slip on the rocks and were finally able to put the merman down onto the sand. Daesung grabbed your wrist before you could move to help him any further.

"Y/N, we need to be getting back," he cautioned. "We've done enough for it, I'm sure it can roll back into the sea on its own."

You glanced at the merman lying motionless on the shore. "You guys go," you replied. "I'll finish up here and meet you in half an hour."

Daesung went to protest but Weilong cut him off, pulling him towards the way you'd just come. Weilong knew you wouldn't just give up at the final hurdle and you mentally thanked him for intervening. "She can take care of herself, Dae."

"Make it fifteen minutes!" Daesung glowered at you before finally relenting, turning and racing away from you.

You were finally alone and turned to stare at the net in trepidation. You didn't think you could bear to look at him again, for whatever reason, so you just grabbed the net and heaved it towards the ocean.

It took time, it was heavy, sweat piled up on your back, but the sea embraced the two of you like it was second nature. Soon the water was up to your knees and just starting to lap at the merman's body. He shifted, brown eyes fluttering open and meeting with yours in surprise. You would never get over the sight of them, so pretty and intelligent, unlike anything you'd ever seen before.

He raised his head groggily, pushing himself up with his hands to look about and once he realised where he was he turned to face you again in equal parts fascination and astonishment.

You tugged him out further until the water reached your shorts before lifting it up and allowing the mermaid to roll into the water. You had no idea what to do with the tarpaulin and fishing net- someone would surely notice it was missing. You knew you should be panicking, not only had you doomed the island and gone against the leader's orders, but you were definitely going to be punished for this if they caught you. Yet you didn't care; you were doing the right thing. 

The water seemed to breathe new life into the mermaid. You hadn't known how deep to go so you had gone off an experience that had happened last year. A dolphin had been marooned on the beach whilst trying to catch fish and you and some others had guided it back to the shallows instead of leaving it to fend for itself in the deep ocean in order to help it regain its senses and strength so that it could swim off when it was ready.

His scales shimmered, the morning sun absorbing into the black and reflecting off the silver so brightly that you had to shield your eyes for a moment. He was face down, tail still unmoving but arms holding him up as if he was doing some sort of plank exercise. Would he move off soon? 

You didn't understand but there was no time to wait and you had done all you could. Regret coursed through you as you headed back to shore, casting one long look at the unmoving figure, before your feet found purchase in dry land and you took off, running fast whilst crumpling the evidence of your nightly adventure into a ball.

-

"Where have you been?" Your mother calls from the kitchen as you try to sneak in through the front door. You have only a split second to launch the net into the other room before she comes out frowning, stirring some sort of meal in a pot.

"I and some others snuck out to see the sunset earlier," you explain. "Minjun seemed fine- and he fell asleep! So I left him and just relaxed for a bit."

She seemed to take the bait, dropping her shoulder like an invisible weight had been lifted off them. "You're such a bad sister," she chided gently, no heat behind her words. "Go wash up, you look terrible."

You only moved once she had gone back into the kitchen, grabbing the net again and racing up the stairs. You and Minjun shared a room and you hoped, as you stuffed it into the bottom of your closet, that he would never question the net nor tell your mother if he found it.

A single glance in the mirror had you gawking. Your hair was a mess, a special style done a la wind and your under-eyes a hideous purple. Salt stuck to your legs and your shorts were crusty with seawater. You would have to get changed before you met with Daesung and Weilong to solidify your alibi.

-


	4. 4

"I can't believe we're criminals," were the first words out of Daesung's mouth as you met up with him half an hour later. Weilong, in his typical fashion, was one step ahead of you and had knocked on your door to collect you.

"Shut up, Dae." He replied warningly.

"If anyone asks, we were together to watch the sunset and we saw nothing suspicious." You told them both. "And now we just go about our business and pretend nothing happened. Got it?"

"What happened to the merman. Did he swim off?"

"I think so?"

"You think so?" Weilong hissed. "He either did or he didn't, Y/N!"

"Beached dolphins, Wei." You brushed him off airily. "Now, I need to go pick up my brother. You can either come with me or stay here and just act normal."

In the end, you go to get your brother, who was finally able to come home, alone. He greets you with a wide smile from a sitting position, clearly ready to get out of the cabin.

"He'll need to take this medicine before eating every morning for a week. Lot's of bed rest and no strenuous activities, but other than that he's fine." Mira handed you the items. "He's dosed up enough that he can walk back so you should be fine. We tried to get a horse and cart ready but, strangely, no-one's been replying this morning."

"Can't imagine why," you fake a smile and sling your arms around Minjun. "See you later, Mira!"

You manage to get your brother home safe and sound and when you do so your mother takes over, fussing to and fro and making sure he was as comfortable as possible.

"Sunhee's calling a meeting at three," she told you absentmindedly, fluffing the cushions up for Minjun. "That mermaid's gone."

You ignored Minjun's stare, pretending to be surprised. "What?"

"Vanished. They were going to do something to it this evening but when the healers went to check this morning, it was gone. It's as if it sprung legs and ran away!"

"That's crazy," you reply before quickly changing the subject. "I'll start walking down then since I'm assuming you can't go?"

"I'll be staying with your brother. Let me know what happens, dear."

You couldn't escape the house quick enough. An uncomfortable feeling had settled in your stomach that, no matter how fast you walked, you couldn't get away from. You'd never done anything like this and you knew people would be angry at the fact that their ticket to getting their food back had mysteriously disappeared. It didn't help that you had been acting somewhat emotionally yesterday either.

The people at the meeting, you noticed, were mostly the same ones who had been there on the night of the attack. As Sunhee put it, those were the only people who had known of the plan.

"We'll start by going through old mythology books to see if there was any chance of the mermaid escaping on its own. I can't think of why anyone would free it, but it's important we find out who did it and why. If any of you have any information, I'd appreciate you coming to find me."

There was no talk of punishment, yet. Your eyes met the boys' through the crowd but as soon as you were dismissed you were approached. Woosun, a fisherman and friend of your mother's had noticed you'd skipped your chores yesterday and so was roping you into helping him on his boat tonight.

Once again the ocean soothed your thoughts. Being out at sea turned into a routine for you: your body went through the motions needed to cast out the nets while your mind stayed with the gentle sound of the waves, empty of any thoughts or fears. You were far away from the island here, far away from your worries, stress and guilt. You knew you had done a good thing, the right thing, but it didn't make you feel any better.

The only thing that nagged at your mind happened when you stared out at the waves. You remembered back to when you'd first seen his glimmering tail and wondered if he was still alive. He had been motionless when you'd left but surely be now he'd have swum off? You half expected to see him when you looked out at sea but dismissed it almost immediately. They'd want nothing to do with any of you after this.

As you waited for the nets to collect fish you thought back to when you'd seen the apprentice nurses working. Hadn't they been making some medicine for him? Would it still be there?

You got rid of the thought immediately, horrified at yourself. You'd caused so much trouble already and now you were thinking of this?

In for a penny, in for a pound.

There was no harm in seeing if they still had it. You could say it was for Minjun, anyway.

-

"Is he really in that much pain?" The young assistant looked nervous, fidgeting while holding the sack in her hands.

"He's just trying to move around too much. We wanted to be more safe than sorry so I hoped you'd have some spare medicine?" You were lucky you had caught the apprentice and not someone like Mina, who would demand for Minjun to come back to the clinic.

She handed it over without a fuss and you made your way down to the beach in a contemplative mood. So much had changed: you'd seemingly gone from a young adult to a borderline criminal who was happy to lie for a merman who had never said a word to her.

Could they talk? Everything about them was shrouded in mystery and you hated how you wanted to learn more. Why couldn't you be more like Sunhee, who was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the island survived. Why did compassion have to cloud your judgement?

Because that's who you were.

You hated it.

There were no teenagers at the beach and so you walked freely, trailing your feet in the sands before coming to the rocks and clambering over their sharp terrain. It was lucky you had hidden the merman from view- no one would think to come out this way.

The little cove area was empty and for some reason, your heart sunk. This should have been a good thing good, he had obviously survived. The beach was empty, the water crystal clear and showing no signs of anyone or anything having ever been there.

"Why are you back?"

You released an inhuman yelp, body convulsing involuntarily and the little bag falling to the floor while you turned around and tried to locate where the voice was coming from.

The merman was looking at you from in the water, elbows perched on a group of rocks in order to hold him up. The first thing you notice (once you've gotten over the initial shock) is he's pale, and not the healthy kind.

For a moment the two of you regard each other and you can't help but notice, despite his obviously deteriorating condition, how alive he looks in the water, clearly at home in his element. He's almost like a king sitting on his throne, watching you calmy through cat-like eyes, inviting you to speak.

"Why are you still here?" You reply.

He stares pointedly, "that's none of your business."

"Excuse me?" You step forward indignantly because you've risked a lot for this pathetic excuse of a fish and you'll be damned if he doesn't appreciate your efforts. "I saved your life."

"Weren't you trying to kidnap me? You were on that boat, right?" His lips curve into a small, slow smile and your eyes follow the movement, enchanted at the way it transforms his face.

You open and close your mouth like a gaping fish as you try to formulate a reply. When nothing comes out and your anger comes to a boil, you hurl the sack of medicine at him and say "don't get the medicine wet, asshole," before storming off once again. That would be the last time you saw him.

Except he stayed on your mind, coming and going like the tide over the next few days. Sunhee sent out search groups made up of the island's enforcers to go and search while you tried to keep him off your mind. Yet you still held your breath as you watched them exit from the cove in dismay, evidently having found nothing.

So he'd really gone then? You had to check for yourself, you decided, in the early morning as you lay awake in bed. Slipping out was easy enough and you knew the path to get there like the back of your hand by now. It was surprisingly well lit, the moon casting hulking shadows onto the rocks and the sea lapping gently at the shore.

You'd always preferred the night to the day, especially when it came to the beach. It was so calm and tranquil with no one around to disturb you and no chores or activities that needed doing.

You found yourself wandering over to where you had last seen the mermaid, slipping off your shoes and stepping onto the cool rocks and travelling further out until you could sit on the last cluster and look out at the moon, legs dangling into the water and kicking gently until a something clamped around your ankle and pulled you in.

It happened fast, icy water invading your nose and mouth. Legs kicking and arms flailing, you fought to reach the surface whilst simultaneously trying to defend yourself against whatever was trying to kill you. 

Your hands clawed frantically as they tried to find the rocks and when you did so you launched yourself out of the water coughing and choking, eventually recovering enough to glance around and find the culprit, who was bobbing a few feet away from you with a smirk on his face.

"You." You narrowed your eyes and coughed again. "Did you just try to kill me?"

"Not this time," he smiled again though his face was half cast in shadow, courtesy of the night.

"Then what was that?" You coughed again and recoiled as he came closer.

"I need your attention. And your help," he admitted, playful eyes suddenly turning serious. "That thing you gave me, I can't apply it and my wound is making me weaker every day, no thanks to that monstrous weapon you fired."

"Wait, what?" You pressed your hands to your eyes and rubbed them, unsure of what was going on. "Is that why you're still here? I thought you'd gone. The search party couldn't find you."

"I swam deep enough that they couldn't see me but it hurt to do so," he said. "Your people made the mistake of shooting me, so fix it."

"You're incredibly rude, you know."

"I'm going to come out of the water and sit on a rock. The sack is hidden in one of the rock pools, go and find it."

You don't know why you obeyed but you did, getting to your feet unsteadily and searching around blindly until your foot brushed upon a slightly damp but mostly dry sack. 

You'd never applied the medicine yourself but it seemed simple enough- you had watched you mother apply it to Minjun's wounds a few times. The problem was the merman's wound was a lot worse than your brother's. It was large and deep and although hard to see in the light, obviously infected. The scales around it had turned a dull colour.

You kneeled down next to him, ignoring the way the rocks bit into your skin and opening the sack. Inside was a paste-like substance that you had witnessed your mother apply to Minjun like a salve.

"Can I touch you?" You asked, noticing the way he regarded you warily. He nodded shortly and you began to collect the salve onto your fingers whilst the other held down his tail.

It felt.. weird. They were smooth but you could easily feel the muscle inside as he tensed against you. Finding the sensation too uncomfortable you began to apply the ointment, ignoring the sharp hiss he let out at it made contact with his wound.

"What the hell is that?"

"Some sort of painkiller or something. I got it from the healing cabin. What do you normally use for injuries?"

"It normally scars over."

"That must hurt," you try to keep the conversation going in a bid to take his mind off the pain. "You got any scars?"

"Stop being so obsessed with me and get this over with," was the reply. You snarled and dabbed the ointment harshly in response.

"Sorry! Just- hurry up, please." He begged voice nearing a whine due to the pain.

"I'm done." You couldn't pull away quick enough from the ungrateful man, dipping your hands into the ocean to try and get rid of the residue on your hands (which had already started to go numb). "Stay on land for about twenty minutes so it can sink in and then I think you're free to go."

"Thank you," his voice drew your eyes to him. He was sincere, nothing like how he'd been seconds earlier. "You're unexpectedly kind, for a human."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He scoffed and gestured to the wound, causing you to smile in response.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that happened to you." You apologised. "Things are... difficult here, at the moment."

"Then why did you come back?" He replied, staring at you curiously. Your cheeks heated up at your gaze and you were suddenly thankful for the cover of night. You decided to answer honestly.

"I don't know. At first, I felt bad. Then I was curious and wanted to see if you were still there."

"That makes sense," he nodded. "I didn't know if you were going to come back but you did, so I guess a thank you is in order. Thank you."

"it's fine," you looked away, suddenly unsure how to respond to his sincerity. "I should probably get going now."

"Will you come back?" He drew your gaze to him once again, eyes sparkling with earnestness and sincerity. He was so open and honest, something which confused you given his previous mysterious and cautious nature, and you found yourself unable to refuse his request.

"Yeah," you nodded slowly, getting to your feet. "I'll be back tomorrow."

-


	5. 5

"Sunhee's getting anxious."

The sky was a clear blue, not a cloud to be seen in the sky. It was a beautiful deception and if you hadn't have felt the strong winds against your face you would have been straight into the ocean to cool off. Instead, you were sunbathing on the beach, Minah by your side.

"How do you know?" You asked whilst closing your eyes, the sun finally becoming too harsh and causing your eyes to water.

"My dad was talking about it. She's got no leads so she's got to give up. She'll probably try and capture one again."

"I bet they've all gone now." You hoped so, anyway.

"Yeah," Minah turned to face you rolling onto her side. "But we're basically doomed. Like, Sunhee's tried negotiating with the other islands but they won't cut her any slack. At this rate, we'll have to turn the island into one big farmland and live off the cattle."

You didn't know what to say. "We'll find a way,"

"Ah, Y/N, ever the optimist." She snorted, before finally leaving you alone once again.

It was nice to relax in the sunshine and fall asleep without having to worry that Minah would try and push you into the water. Ever since you'd snuck out you'd been losing sleep and relaxing on the beach was the perfect way to combat that. You had been slightly worried when you'd got there, that the merman would somehow find where you were and say hello, but after scrutinising the sea for a good five minutes you were assured he would do no such thing.

It was funny how a thin level of trust had been built between you now. You'd met a few times, talked to each other for even less, but the secret of you helping him and the merman hiding out at the beach was yours and his burden to bear. You couldn't say you were relaxed at the thought of lying to your friends and, in essence, dooming the island, but every time you saw him you knew you'd made the right decision.

He was so full of life the next time you saw him. It was just after midnight and you couldn't fall asleep so you'd shoved on some beach clothes and hurried on down, so impatient you hadn't even put on shoes. You didn't need them anyway, your feet could handle the rocks just fine.

He sat on the rocks with his head dropped down, which suddenly shot up when you called out a soft "hey". 

"Is the wound better?" Was the first thing you asked.

"I think so, I left it out of water for a while and it went numb, and during the day I was able to swim better. It's healing." While he spoke you watched another smile spread onto his face. It softened the sharp edges of his features and you couldn't help but smile too.

"That's good. I think we had some leftover medicine from last night so shall we put that on again?" He nodded to that and made himself comfortable while you hunted around on the rocks, trying to find where you'd left the pouch.

"So," luckily he didn't tense up as much when you applied it this time, a sign it was healing rapidly. "Do you have a name?"

"Call me Ten."

You gave him a look. "That's a weird name."

To your surprise, he pouted, looking very disappointed in your reaction. "Well, what's your name then?"

"Y/N L/N."

"That's a weird name. I don't know anyone called Y/N."

"Now you do," you grinned at him and he smiled back, teeth poking out adorably.

"How do you heal so fast?" A ray of light had hit where you were working and you were open-mouthed at how fast the wound had healed. The hole which had probably been the size of your fist was now about as small as a coin and the previously dull scales were now vibrant again, contrasting each other beautifully.

"What do you mean?" He tried to look down at his wound but you stopped him, a hand briefly on his shoulder to put him back in place. The last thing you needed was him moving while you were concentrating.

"This would take weeks, if not months to heal on a human," you explained. "Honestly if this hit our torso, we probably wouldn't survive."

"I was very lucky," he explained. "But I guess we're just different. We heal faster, you like attacking us."

"That wasn't me!" You defended hotly, glaring at him as he laughed quietly, eyes crinkled up and body silently shaking. "That's it, I'm leaving."

"Wait-" as you stood up his hand shot to grab your leg, hand wrapping around your ankle. "Wait until I can go back in the water so we can see if it's healed any more."

"Fine," but instead of sitting back down, you gently slid into the water, putting some distance between the two of you. Next to the rocks, the waves came up to your waist. You were lucky it was a humid night, otherwise you could see yourself getting hypothermia.

"What are you doing?" Ten watched you curiously as you went deeper, adjusting slightly so he could keep an eye on you. "I didn't think humans could swim very well."

"We live on an island, Ten. I'd be worried if we couldn't swim." You rolled your eyes (not that he could see it). "Besides, I want to know where you've been hanging out. Have you been staying here?"

"I go out to the deeper water and stay down there mostly." He replied. "And will you be careful? There's a current out there and I don't want to have to dive in and save you."

"Don't underestimate me. I saved your life." You move your arm in an arc, collecting water and then splashing him. A laugh erupts from you as Ten is drenched and when you see the initial look of disbelief on his face, you almost sink under from giggling. However, the expression on his face after he realises what you've just done causes you to float back over to the rocks and pull yourself up and out of the water.

"Sorry," your belated apology does nothing to placate him and he just huffs as you wring out your hair and clothes. They would dry soon but a chill was starting to set in. "Has your tail gone numb yet? Is it done."

"I think so," he moves it experimentally and your jaw almost drops as it moves, scales glittering like diamonds. You'd only ever seen it from afar or when it was motionless, but up close you were convinced it was some kind of illusion.

"Are they all like this?" 

"Like what?"

You pointed to it. "Like that. So pretty and shiny."

Ten snorted but smiled, obviously feeling proud you'd complimented him. "They're not all the same colours. It depends on your family and where you come from. My brothers all have different colours."

"You brother- wait, what?"

"Not my real siblings," he amends hastily. "There are seven of us altogether. Our tails usually give us advantages of some sort, either over other mermaids or some sort of camouflage. They also help us identify who is from what parts of the world."

"That's so cool." You breathe out. Why were you stuck with legs when something as amazing as this existed?

Ten grinned again at your praise before pushing off the rocks and falling elegantly into the water. For a minute you could see nothing and so edged closer to where he had fallen it but then his head popped out of the water, looking intently up at you.

For a moment the two of you said nothing and just stared again, then he dived back under in a motion akin to a backflip, his tail rising and throwing a whole load of water at you.

You staggered back, spluttering, and Ten obviously took that chance to lunge forward and pull you in, because the next thing you knew you were back in the water, flailing for a second before his hands found yours and he dragged you up.

"Are you okay Y/N? Am I still underestimating you?" He teased, thumbs coming up to help you dry the water in your eyes. You coughed and threw him a nasty look while swimming backwards slightly to show your displeasure.

You may have been quicker on land but it was clear Ten was in his element in the water. He was perfectly stationary until he decided to move around you, diving under and popping back up where you least expected him to be.

"Glad to know the medicine helped." You laughed at the pleased smile on his face as he swam about.

"I can't feel a thing," he grinned, and you laughed before splashing water at him once again.

-

A ball of dread forms in the pit of the stomach as you browse around the town square. It's midday so you've beaten the morning rush but the stalls are barren, almost empty of any items.

There wasn't much for you to do today so your mother had sent you down to get some groceries. So far you'd picked up a few vegetables and some bread but there was no meat to be seen.

A figure waved at you through the small crowd and upon closer inspection, you saw it was Minah's oldest sister Minyoung, manning their fish stall.

"Guess I've come too late," you joked to her, resting your bag on the floor whilst watching the older girl clean the counter.

"Tell me about it. As soon as the market was open it was like the apocalypse had just been announced! People are getting too greedy and are trying to stock up."

"That's not good," you sighed. "My mom was nagging about how she wanted meat for Minjun so she's going to be upset."

"Oh yeah, how's your brother doing? Recovering okay?"

"He'll be up and about soon. He can't keep still nowadays." You laughed. When you were younger Miyoung had often come over to babysit the two of you and you viewed her as a big sister of sorts. 

"Shame about that mermaid." She changed the subject. "I haven't seen Sunhee come out of the council house in a while now, but I'm sure she'll think of something."

"Of course she will." You smiled back at her, nails digging into your hand.

-

"Will you please be careful?" Ten scolded from the water, gazing up at you with a frown on his face. After using the last of the ointment (which wasn't really needed anymore, seeing as Ten's wound was virtually non-existent), you were climbing up some of the bigger rocks while he watched worriedly from the water.

It was weird how at ease you felt around him, how you thought of him as fondly as you did Minah or Weilong. You'd known him hardly a week yet with every encounter you found were both opening up to each other more and more.

Upon reaching the highest rock you stepped back a few paces before cannonballing into the water. You'd done it many times as a child (though not often in the dark) so you knew what you were doing. That didn't stop Ten from hauling you to the surface though, hands running over your arms to make sure you were okay.

"Why can't you just stay on the smaller rocks?" He whined, taking your hands and pulling you closer to the shallower end.

"You act like I haven't been on this island my whole life," you sniggered back, clutching onto a rock and pulling yourself up into a sitting position.

"Who do you live here with?" He questioned. "There's a lot of you, right?"

"Around five hundred or so, I think. We're all spread out around the island." You told him, watching his mouth drop. Evidently, he was used to much smaller numbers. "My friend has a family of six and the biggest family on the island is like ten or something, but it's just my younger brother and my mother with me."

"What happened to your father?" He asked, curious.

"He was born here too. He and my mother were childhood sweethearts that got married and had us quite early. When Minjun was about six, I think he just... got bored. Realised there was life outside this tiny island." You shrugged your shoulders. "They got divorced and he took a job on the mainland. He writes sometimes but I haven't seen him in years."

"Sorry," Ten murmured. "That doesn't sound great."

"It's fine. We're happy here, and I can't expect everyone to see this island as I do." You shrugged. "What about you? You said you have brothers?"

He nodded, eyes sparkling. He clearly loved them. "Yeah, there's seven of us. We were all raised by our parents until our- teen years, you call them? Then we're cast out to find out own coven and we all found each other and decided to stay together. We've been looking for somewhere to settle ever since."

"So you've decided to settle here?" You snorted. "That wasn't a good idea."

"The climate is good for all of us here and there's plenty of food." He pouted at you. "If it wasn't for you humans trying to kill us then we'd be fine here."

"There's a reason for that," you defended. "Ever since you guys came we haven't been catching any fish. And then, the day or so before you were captured, one of you attacked my little brother while he was out fishing." You watched his eyes go round in horror. "He's fine now though! And this is going to sound horrible, but our leader- Sunhee -wanted to trade your scales for food from the other island. That's why we caught you."

"That... makes sense," he commented, swimming closer so he could steady himself with a rock. "So, you decided to save me even though we caused a lack of food, hurt your brother and even if it meant you could have been caught? Why would you do that?"

"It was the right thing to do," you shrugged. "No one deserves what they were going to do to you, though I may have a few choice words for the guy who hurt my brother."

"I bet that was Yangyang," he curses. "That day we were specifically talking about old myths, and one of my brothers, Yukhei, was talking about how he'd heard that a certain type of mermaid, sirens, used to eat humans. Yangyang must've thought it was funny to try and scare your brother but he obviously took it too far. I'm so sorry."

"He sounds..." you try to find the right words. "Interesting. And my brother's fine now. I just wish we had a way out of this, you know? Some other sort of currency to trade with the other islands."

Ten nods with a faraway look in his eye like he's trying to remember something, before turning back to you curiously. "What's a currency?"

You laugh. "Don't tell me you don't trade seashells for pearls with other mermaids, Ten."

He splashes you before leaning forward and taking your wrist, trying to pull you into the sea. You follow the motion, looking at him expectantly.

"How are you with really deep water?" He asks.

-


	6. 6

You've never stolen a boat before. The only time you ever came close was when you were seventeen. You, Daesung and Minah had wanted to go for an evening sail but technically teenagers weren't allowed on boats alone, so you'd snuck down to the docks and tried to take off in a small two-person fishing boat. Ultimately you'd failed because Weilong had happened to be passing by and had reported you, but he'd made it up to you by offering to do some of your chores after you'd been yelled at by your parents. Cue the start of a beautiful friendship.

You wished your friends were here now. It was two nights later as you'd told Ten you'd needed a day or so to plan. In truth, you had decided to wing it, just like you had all those years ago at seventeen.

The harbour was silent like you'd expected. It was midnight, after all. Usually, fishing was a group activity and took place on the larger boats but that didn't mean there weren't smaller ones for individual or small group use. They were tucked away at the end of the dock so you hurried along down, hoping no one would be there to police you.

"Y/N?" You turned. Akira was on one of the ships, clearly applying some sort of protective coat of paint to the mast. "What are you doing out so late?"

"Uh," you stumbled for a moment before having a lightbulb moment. "I was going to go out and see if I can catch some fish. We haven't got any from the market recently and I was going to see if we could catch any at night."

"Ah," she nodded, seemingly taking the excuse. "Do you want me to come with you? Though," she squinted, "it doesn't look too rough out there."

"I'll be fine Akira, thanks. I don't want to bother you."

"Okay, but be careful. Keep an oil lamp on so I know where you are and if those mermaids give you any trouble just hightail it back here, okay?"

"Got it, thank you." You bid her goodbye and carried on.

The small boats were for public use so you picked the one that would be easiest to manoeuvre out the bay. With the sails down and ropes loosened, you made your way out with the light on just like Akira had asked. However, once you were far enough out you turned left, travelling to the area where you usually met Ten was going from there. He'd told you to sail in a straight line from that area and then he would find you, so once you were far enough out, you dropped the anchor and waited.

Being out alone in the dark was scary. The anchor had taken a good while to hit the seafloor so you were definitely way out at sea. Sitting up on the deck and waiting, you looked out into the darkness while a gentle breeze rippled through your hair.

"Y/N." It was almost too dark to make out the outline in the water, so you moved the little hanging light towards where the noise was and saw Ten in the water. But what surprised you was that there was another merman with him with dark hair and dark eyes, though lighter compared to Ten.

"Hi," you greet him. "Who's that?"

"This is Yangyang," he jerks a hand to his friend, who waves at you with a small "hello".

"Weren't you the one who tried to scare my brother?" Yangyang's eyes go wide at that, and he stammers out an apology.

"I'm so sorry. It was a really stupid thing to do and I didn't mean to. Sorry!"

"It's fine." You wave it off, more interested in his tiny yet noticeable accent. It reminded you of what Ten had said, they'd all come from different places but had found each other.

Another thing that drew you to him was the gold necklace hanging around his neck. It sparkled even in the dim light and it didn't take an idiot to know it was probably very valuable.

"How did you get that?" You asked, pointing to it. At that, Ten nudged Yangyang who quickly dived under the waves and didn't resurface, leaving you with only a glimpse of some sea-green scales.

"Y/N, remember how you said about currency," Ten snaps your attention back to him. "You said you needed something valuable to give the other islands. But have you ever gone diving out here?"

"Diving? Not really," you shook your head. "It can get quite dangerous out here and besides, the pressure down there is too much for humans to handle."

"I thought so," he nodded. "Ever since we first arrived here we've been exploring, and one of the things that drew us here was the stuff at the bottom of the ocean. That's were Yangyang got that necklace from."

"What are you getting at?"

"Below the surface, Y/N, where you can't reach, is a whole load of stuff just sitting there. I've counted around three sunken ships, and that's just me alone, not to mention the abundance of oysters and seashells down there."

"So you're saying......" you trail off, unable to finish your sentence. If what Ten said was true, then that would mean both of your problems would be solved. You could sell the treasures at the ocean for food from other islands and Ten and his brothers could stay here.

In perfect timing, Yangyang resurfaced. "I swam as fast as I could." He panted, before holding up a handful of necklaces, very similar to the one he had on. "This didn't even scratch the surface of what's down there," he explained to you, extending his hands so you could lean down and take one.

The necklace was heavy in your hands, covered in some sea debris but nothing that couldn't be washed off with a thorough scrubbing. The only thing you had seen that could rival its beauty was Ten's scales, and you knew at that moment that there was hope. For him and for you.

-

It was early morning when you got back and another night of barely any sleep but you felt more alive than you had in days, giving you an odd sense of deja vu. You strode down the harbour into town with a renewed sense of purpose.

The walk to Sunhee's cabin felt too short and didn't give you enough time to rehearse what to say. You weren't even sure if she would be awake but that thought was put to rest as you saw light emitting from her cabin.

The door swung open after your fourth round of knocking to reveal the leader herself, looking tired, frustrated and oddly reminding you of the night when you'd rescued Ten and then looked at yourself in the mirror.

"What do you want, Y/N?" She asked, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice. You winced, knowing you were the one that had caused it.

"I need to talk to you."

"Not now, kid." She ran a hand through her hair. "I've got an angry council here demanding I-"

"I set the mermaid free."

She stops, pausing in her movements as she looks up and down with renewed interest, before finally speaking.

"Wait a moment."

Then the door shut and you can vaguely hear her commanding everyone out. There are complaints back at her but after five minutes she opens the door wide and motions for you to come in.

"They've all gone out the back door. I told them I needed a break." She shut the door behind you and pointed for you to take a seat. The cabin had obviously been shaped for a group discussion but she picked up a small rectangular table and dragged it to where you were settled before taking a seat and sitting down opposite you.

"Now, why the hell would you do something like that, Y/N?"

It all came rushing out, from the moment you'd hear Minjun was injured, to your anger, to enlisting your friends to help (though you made sure to tell her it was entirely your idea) to striking up a friendship with Ten and eventually coming to a solution. She listened with interest, never interrupting or disturbing your flow. When you finished she stayed silent for a few minutes, making fear prick at the top of your spine. Would she throw you in some sort of jail? Hunt Ten down and reclaim what she'd wanted?

Eventually, she spoke. "Can you show me the treasure?"

You'd taken two necklaces with you that had been stuffed into your pockets. Laying them on the table for her to inspect you watched the way her eyes roamed over the hefty gold, then to the priceless jewels decorating it.

"And," she took on of them into her hands, feeling the texture gently with her thumb. "How much did you say was down there?"

"Loads," you breathed. "Pearls, diamonds, heirlooms, emeralds, thousands." She didn't speak again for a while which made you even jumpier and eventually speak up.

"I'm sorry for freeing the merman. I just couldn't live with mys-"

"Do you know what I did when I was a little girl, Y/N?"

"Pardon?"

"When I was younger," she continued, eyes still on the necklaces. "About thirteen. You probably weren't born. My father used to go around the islands to buy and sell. He took me with him to learn the trade. I saw the finest foods, the richest silks, the most expensive diamonds."

Your heart sunk. It had been futile, and your plan had backfired spectacularly.

"But I have never," she continued, oblivious to your discomfort, "seen something like this."

You pause. "What does that mean?" You croak out, barely trusting your voice.

"It means, Y/N," she looked up suddenly and you were surprised to find her eyes shining, glossed over with unspilled tears. "That even though you went against us, even though you took away what I thought was our only hope, you've saved us. You've saved us. This-" she held it up with a disbelieving scoff, "- is priceless. I too, like you, questioned my morals when I hatched that plan, but I knew I had to do what needed to be done for the people. But you managed to save us not only by sticking to your morals but by reaching out and forming a bond with those creatures who are new to our waters, just as I should have done. I can't thank you enough."

Suddenly you too are crying along with her though you knew they were happy tears. There was no more deceit, no more sneaking around, and no more famine.

"We're going to be okay, Y/N." She smiles at you, and you can't help but return the gesture.

-


	7. 7

"How'd it go?"

You lay on the raft in the water while the sun beat down on you, letting your hand fall and greet and cold water in a bid to cool yourself down.

It had gotten insufferably hot again, to the point where Minjun had dragged himself into the sea and refused to move, much to your mother's distress. You had found, after your talk with Sunhee, that there was going to be a change coming to the island and they wanted you at the centre of it. But it was too hot to be stuck in meetings all day and you hadn't seen Ten in a few days now. You knew he would probably be worried.

"It was good." You hum in reply.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me." 

Cold water is flicked at you and sizzles on your skin, prompting you to open your eyes, sit up and smile. Mina frowns, unhappy with the reaction you've given. "I would have helped you!"

"I was panicking and stressed. I'm sorry for not including you in my traitorous plan, Minah." You tease, ignoring her whines and gently splashing her back.

"So you didn't get punished?" She asks curiously.

"Oh, I did." You reply. "I'm in charge of this whole thing. Sunhee wants me there to collect the first load of treasure and on the first boat out to the islands. Yongsuk's still sulking so I'll probably have Daesung and Weilong come with me."

"What about me?!"

"Of course you too, idiot." You laugh. "I just need to relax for a bit though. There's so much to prepare and we leave tomorrow. I've kept Ten in the dark because honestly, I don't know what he'll say."

"You should tell him," Minah says, hazel eyes looking at you sternly. "If I was him, I'd want to know."

"Clearly," you snigger.

"Go and talk to him!" She glowers, before turning away and stalking back to the beach.

You would think finding a merman in the ocean would be hard. You have no communication and no idea where he is. But it isn't. You simply exit the water and make your way to the cove, your secret spot, and there he is, lying afloat on top of the water as he lets the sun hit him. You almost have to shield your eyes from the way his scales gleam and you're reminded of one word: ethereal.

"Hey, you." You shout and laugh as he jerks awake, diving under only to resurface a second later with an outraged look on his face. You scamper over the rocks that burn your feet and jump into the water, which embraces you from the waist down, waiting for him to come over.

"I'm so angry at you," he huffs, looking away. You can't help but giggle.

"I'm sorry. I've been so unbelievably busy."

"Too busy for me?" He raises a brow. "While you were busy being too busy, I was having a heart attack thinking they'd killed you or something!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" You can't help but laugh at his disappointed expression, moving closer to him as he slips away, trying to splash you half-heartedly. You lunge forward into the deep towards him but he moves away so you lay face down in the water, unmoving, in a bid to get him to talk to you.

It goes on like that for what seems like hours. You count the seconds, all the way up to a minute and a half until you feel like you're going to burst. Just as you're about to give up, Ten grab you, hauling you out of the water as he pulls you close.

"You are the stupidest human I've ever met! You just go and lie in the water like a dead sea turtle, acting as childish as Yukhei sometimes. I hone-" You cut him off by throwing your arms around him and resting your head on his shoulder, legs coming to wrap around his torso. His shoulder blade is kind of bony and he jerks back, obviously unused to being touched like that, but eventually he tentatively returned the gesture, arms encircling you.

"What are you doing?" He speaks slowly like he's scared you'll bolt and you feel the vibration of his voice in his chest.

"Hugging you."

"Why?"

"Because I missed you. And I'm sorry." You mumble, hugging him tighter.

"It's okay," he replies and you can hear the small smile in his voice. "I wasn't really mad."

"... And everything's sorted out. You're free to stay, we won't disturb you as long as you help us find the treasure-"

You scream as he launches you back into the water, a murderous expression on his face. 

"You could have opened with that! I was so worried." He starts towards you angrily and you shriek, frantically swimming backwards in an attempt to retreat to the rocks.

-

Lately, you've begun to prefer the ocean to the land. This has probably always been the case but never have you yearned for it in the way you do now. It makes your previous conversation with Ten about your father void. How could anyone want to leave this life?

That evening you're out at sea on a boat with only Weilong, Daesung, Minah and, much to your brother's displeasure, Minjun. You had explained to Sunhee that if you were going to run this operation on your own then you wanted your crew and she had graciously relented, allowing your friends and yourself to go out and collect the treasure.

They were curious of Ten just as he was curious of them and his brothers were curious of you. He introduced you to each other proudly: Yangyang; whom you were familiar with; the quiet but welcoming Xiaojun, the stern-looking Kun, the intimidating Sicheng, the goofy Lucas and Kunhang, whose vibrant scales of blue and gold rivalled the beauty of Ten's, much to his displeasure when you mentioned it.

Together the twelve of you get to work, them diving down while you sort each item into piles. Under Sunhee's prompting, you were sorting by material with Minjun and Weilong while the others collected the pearls from the oysters. The atmosphere, though cautious at first, became as light as the ocean breeze, changing to accommodate whatever item was dragged up from the seafloor. At one point Minjun and Weilong accidentally threw a gold goblet into the ocean whilst joking around and you'd burst into laughter as Weilong dived in headfirst, resurfacing and holding the cup triumphantly.

There isn't much time for you and Ten to talk so you promise him you'll see him tonight, at the cove. The rest of your day is spent taking inventory the valuables you've collected, pricing them consulting with Sunhee and storing them on the ship.

You've gained a newfound respect for your leader, now you've really gotten involved in supporting the island and you tell Ten as such as you swirl your burning toes into the cool water. You've been on your feet all day.

"How long will the journey last?" He asks quietly. Evidently, the day has tired him out as well as he rests his head in the crook of his elbow on the rock, similar to how he did when you first saw him here, one hand drawing unknown words onto your thigh.

"We have four islands to hit, so I'll be gone for about a week," you explain, staring out into the darkening sky. "Sunhee's coming with us, she'll steer us there and since we're essentially striking a new trade deal she wants to be there to finalise it."

"That's a long time," he mumbles quietly and your turn to see his downcast expression, pushing his hand away with a scoff.

"Don't tell me you'll miss me."

He sighs dramatically. "It'll be hard not having some annoying human running around on this shore."

"Maybe I won't come back then."

"I'd just have to go out and find you," his dark eyes stare at you intently, showing his seriousness. "I don't think I could stay here for long if you're not around."

You don't have a quick reply to that so you just smile. "I'll come back," you mutter eventually. "Always."

-

In the heat of the Summer, the ocean was your only escape.

The Mermaid (aptly named by Minjun) raced through the water, cutting the waves in half and forcing her way through the wind. The ocean allowed it, embracing the vessel as it powered forward, sails billowing as the winds carried it along. You'd grown fond of the ship you'd lived on for the past week, having got to know all its quirks and talents as well as laying passed out under the deck when the partying on Isla Temura got too much to handle. Out in the middle of the ocean, the ship made you feel at home out on the vast, open sea.

You wondered if that was what the mermaids felt like, always moving but having found a home together in their little covens. Of course, you experienced the sea from an entirely different viewpoint, above the waves where you had only your wits and the horizon to guide you.

Things would be different now, and the changes showed themself with every choice you took. It had started with you agreeing to Sunhee's original plan and ever since then, you reminisced, you'd evolved in so many ways. On the first island, the Isle of Djin, you'd learned to barter and trade, fetching a rather favourable deal in terms of the amount of fish you would be getting for monthly supplies of pearls. On Isla Temura you had learned to party, really learned to party, and begun to slightly understand why your father may have left again. Their way of life there was... refreshing.

The Taiyan Islands had taught you true comradery. The storm had been so furious it had torn straight through your sail and when Daesung had been thrown overboard you hadn't hesitated in jumping in after him, both of you coming within an inch of your lives.

After the ship had been stabilised and Sunhee was confident in manning the helm, you couldn't help but think of Ten. If you had turned your joke into the truth and never come back to him, would he be as vicious as that storm in trying to find you?

You didn't doubt it.

The last island, Fortuna, was the true epitome of reap what you sow. The jewels had gone down a treat on that fashion-driven island and in the end, Weilong had had to commandeer another boat to carry all the food you were bringing home.

Which was where you were headed now, and you couldn't be happier. Sailing was a freedom you had experienced that at its finest but it was time for to home, at least for a while. You had promised to return.

Minah joined you up at the bow, looking out into the horizon. The two of you were sporting shorter, shoulder-length haircuts courtesy of the ladies you had stayed with on a small Taiyan island. Apparently, long hair was a taboo there, so you had joined in on their tradition of cutting newcomer's hair and allowed them to hack it off. Your mother would go mad.

"A few more hours," Minah whispered, hand coming to clutch at yours. She had been homesick, it wasn't hard to tell. But finally, after over eighteen years, Daesung had been there to comfort her. You were looking forward to their future.

But, selfishly, nothing beat the anticipation of a new start. Everything had changed now and your life wasn't going to go back to normal, that you knew for sure. Sunhee had a newfound admiration for you and you knew Ten would hardly allow you to spend a day without visiting. But the midnight rendezvous would have to end; your sleep was too precious to you.

Slowly, like how the sunrise sneaks over the horizon, home came into view. You'd never seen it from so far out before but the flat mainlands and sloping hills in the background took your breath away.

You squinted, trying to find the harbour and the cove. Would he be waiting? Would he even know you were on your way?

That was a stupid question. He would always know.

\- fin -


End file.
